This is not even remotely unexpected of me and struck all my friends as hilariously on-brand, with probably the main surprise being that you can actually buy an Austrian scythe for what is not a totally ridiculous price. I paid like 150 USD after taxes at Lee Valley tools, which is a really damn competitive price.

That’s an actual thing, by the way, though this is in Plautdietsch, and not Pensilfaanisch Deitsch:

But I can absolutely get on board with metal songs about needing to get your chores done and have a nice nap.

Anyway, I’ve wanted a scythe for a couple of years because I do kind of enjoy the process of mowing the lawn, but the electric mower gives out well before I do, and gas mowers are worse than cars as far as emissions.

And like, yeah, you can’t individually choose your way out of climate change, but considering we mow the lawn more than we drive, as a household with two people working from home and 22 acres to keep after…

The lawn at the other house, which I was taking care of before I moved to Philly and then to my parents’ farm, is getting overrun. Our neighbor keeps after the front lawn because it’s flat and easy, and it makes it easier for him to scan the property for fallen trees, which happens a lot, but I told him not to worry about the back. Too hilly, too full of trees. I wouldn’t dare ask him to deal with that. Especially since a lot of the ash trees have given way to emerald ash borer and are regularly snapping in half during storms.

And I’ve been…critical of a lot of tech for a while, especially when its selling point amounts solely to speed. And while I am not Amish (duh) I am appreciative of the metric by which Amish communities measure the suitability of technology–does this encourage interdependence? If not, it’s rejected. I am certainly less than thrilled with the way those expectations are enforced. But nothing is pro-social about a lawn, especially one being maintained with loud, dirty machinery. If I had my druthers I would buy the house off my parents and convert the front lawn into a community garden, but where I am going to come up with $300k is beyond me.

Maybe I can be like Jim Kovaleski and mow lawns with my scythe for cash. My WFH gig, while convenient, and while having a pretty good hourly wage, simply does not give me enough hours to suit my needs.

Then again, that’s what contemplating starting an Etsy store is supposed to help mitigate. We’ll see how that turns out. I’ve made a test batch of an anti-fungal salve and my brother and I have been testing it. Running around barefoot or in galoshes isn’t exactly kind to your feet, and I’ve had tinea veriscolor for years. The salve is based on an essential oil mix I saw some good results with, so we’ll see if it works in a beeswax and plant fat base. More on that story as it continues. I’m thinking of some conditioner bars and lotion bars next. And maybe lip balms since it seems like if I don’t wear lip balm for two seconds I’ll die.